Hives stolen looking for help

I wish you luck finding your hives. I think you downplay too much most people's fears of even approaching occupied hives, as well as the amount of time and effort and machinery involved in moving that number of hives.

If the thieves loaded by hand, it would have taken them hours, and they would have still needed trucks and/or trailers large enough to haul that many hives. So many hives won't fit in the bed of a pickup at one time. And moving that many hives even with machinery takes time (and previous experience to cut that time down).

As much as I dislike stating it, I think a beekeeper or at least someone with beekeeping experience is your thief.

I dont know exactly where these yards are... but it is a very small community there. I think if trucks and trailers were going anywhere there .. even out into a pasture... at 3 AM in the morning, someone would have noticed. That would have been very unusual. However, if someone was loading bees in the middle of the day in broad daylight, they probably would not have questioned it... especially if they saw someone there that they had seen before and recognized. Would have just thought someone is moving their bees and never thought about it again. Hopefully someone saw something, and hopefully the law will question them, and hopefully they will be able to remember something unique or identifiable about what they saw. Is hard for me to believe that some guy looking for bees to take to the almonds would even KNOW where this little community is... much less that there were bees there. Give it some time.... I am not convinced that all is lost yet. Cant say for sure what will happen... but the OP might just get something back in the end.... I think we all hope so anyway. If nothing else... it has opened my eyes to what can happen even to a bunch of bees. I had 80 hives before I walked away from them.... but I never even questioned that someone would or could steal them. Since this post... I have learned that <$300 would buy you almost 100% security in a bee yard.... and in the future I WILL make that investment to protect my yard/ hives. Much has changed in the last 5 years....

Gotta agree with you Sippy. If they had all the right equipment, no one probably would've thought twice about seeing them loading hives in the middle of the day. With the prices bees are getting lately I'm not surprised. All kinds of people out there who do anything to make a $$ especially these days.

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Originally Posted by SippyBees

but it is a very small community there. I think if trucks and trailers were going anywhere there .. even out into a pasture... at 3 AM in the morning, someone would have noticed. Is hard for me to believe that some guy looking for bees to take to the almonds would even KNOW where this little community is... much less that there were bees there.

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I agree I got lost trying to find the town with directions and maps on my phone. Not only that but the bees there could not bee see from any road.

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Originally Posted by Kieck

I think a beekeeper or at least someone with beekeeping experience is your thief.

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I would agree with this.

I'm intrigued by this case. Let me see if I've got all this straight:

One hundred double deeps were stolen from two locations (roughly 50 per location).

Both locations were property owned by the same single individual or entity.

Both locations were not readily visible to passing traffic.

The property owner of both locations is also a beekeeper.

The property owner reported them stolen, and reported some of his own stolen as well.

Now, what I'd like to know is:

How many hives other than yours (the BSH) ones were located at each of these two locations?

How many of those hives were also reported stolen?

How many other thefts of bee hives from other locations in that area have similarly been reported recently?

I just went back and read all posts by MTINAZ, the victim of the theft, and I have yet to see where he has said how his bees came to be there in Mississippi when he is in Arizona. Who was managing the hives? He said he got lost trying to find the town where his bees are located??? Sure would be nice to know a little more of the history that is factual, rather than reading all this speculation. John

I apologize that I shared some information that MTINAZ shared with me in PM's and a phone call. This is his thread... and whatever information he chooses to disclose is his business. I am very sorry for his loss, and am sorry if I said anything here that he chose to not disclose. All things considered... I say give it some time... I have a feeling that something will be done in the matter. I will of course inform the OP of anything I learn or hear about it here... but what information is shared here in a public forum is his choice.

SippyBees,

I think that now would be the time for you to step back from speaking for MTINAZ and let him give us all more than one or two sentences about this matter. After all, he is the one who came on this forum pleading for help in finding his stolen hives. This forum is here for more than our reading enjoyment, when something like this happens to a fellow beek they know they can come on here and get support, not just in words, but other beeks in the area can keep an eye out for his missing stuff and ask some questions. John

What more do we need to know besides what they look like in order to report their location and call the cops if we see them?

We already have a description.

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Originally Posted by jim lyon

He threatened to press trespassing charges on ME and the police (who he knew personally) chewed me out and told me that I was lucky that they didnt arrest me while the guy stands there with a smirk on his face.

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Not to kindle bad memories but did this work out? How? Did you get any satisfaction going higher in law enforcement (like state) filing a complaint that this cop was protecting a criminal? How does a land owner sell a beekeepers hives and then make deals with another beekeeper? It is like the wild, wild, West stealing cattle and horses.

How did it work out? Well it worked out well for him. I was an unknown person 1,000 miles from home. He was the local "bee guy" on a first name basis with the boys at the local police department who had pretty much concluded that I was some unknown transient that just needed to move along. Nothing was branded, I couldnt prove ownership even if I knew where they were.

I suspect that this one may turn out without much satisfaction for MTINAZ, too. Sure, the description of the hives is posted here now. But unless the hives are marked some other way, I guess most thieves smart enough to find and move more than 100 hives from at least two locations are also smart enough to repaint or rebox and burn the evidence.

I do hope that those of us reading this thread to get to hear whatever outcome results from this, just to satisfy our curiosity.

not needed

Mississippi bee inspector talked to me 5 minutes ago.... I learned a lot in the few minutes we talked.... I am confident much more info will come to light about all of this.... I will not involve anymore people by dropping names here...
But FWIW...
Call and report also to Mississippi Farm Theft dept... special division to investigate agricultural theft
800-678-2660
601-359-1122

Kieck, I want to know how this turns out too, there's nothing I can do to help being so far away, but if I was in the area, I would be conducting my own investigation to help get the guy's hives back home to him. John

I'm right with you, jmgi. I'm not in that area, and I don't know how the beekeepers there interact. I may not be acquainted with all of the beekeepers who have hives in this area, but I think I recognize which vehicles/equipment/loaders work in most of the yards that I pass frequently. I'd certainly notice if someone else was loading hives at one of those yards when I was going past. My guess is that most of the ag producers (those folks who own properties where most bee yards are located here) would also notice if someone else was loading hives at most of the yards in this area.

Joel's post reads like a useful checklist, in my opinion. I'd copy it and print it out in a case like this to use as a reference for what I'd do.

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Originally Posted by SippyBees

Mississippi bee inspector talked to me 5 minutes ago.... I learned a lot in the few minutes we talked.... I am confident much more info will come to light about all of this.... I will not involve anymore people by dropping names here...
But FWIW...
Call and report also to Mississippi Farm Theft dept... special division to investigate agricultural theft
800-678-2660
601-359-1122

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This kind of post is really not helpful to solving the crime at hand and more than likley could hurt the case.

You and the state inspector have absolutely no business discussing an ongoing criminal case with the inference that the investgation is about to break and you have the inside scoop and posting it for the world to see. If I was the investigator on this case I'd be dragging you in to find out why the state inspector is telling you anything about any ongoing criminal investigation - then if there was any pertinent information exchanged I'd be calling the head of the state ag department and the inspector would be working at McDonalds next week. Being confident the investigator is reading all these Russell related posts I'm sure that wheel may already be in motion.

Did it occur to you the investigator is likely reading every post about the Russells on beesource? Did it occur to you that perhaps the authorities would prefer to keep case progress under wraps until an arrest is made? Did it occur to you the inspector might not be wanting you post about him on Beesource?

This is an interesting thread, and even for us small beekeepers, there are some lessons to be learned about hives, theft, law enforcement, engraving/branding/painting, etc., and people in general.

Joel ... WHAT???? WHat are you talking about? The inspector did not tell me anything about this case... he didn't even KNOW about it.. and I did not intend to make it sound that way.... but he did shed some light on some other things I was interested to know about. I told him about this thread and the first thing he said was did it get reported to the Farm Theft dept... and as far as i know it didn't. I just put the numbers up so MTINAZ would know about it... he may not have known about that avenue. I did not get ANY kind of information to solve this crime... and I did not mean to imply that I did.
Did you know.. at least in the state of MS... if you advertise to sell a bait/ lure for an insect.... it is considered a pesticide and you must be licensed to sell it.... such as SHB bait/traps... I had NO IDEA. You can make it and use it yourself.... but if you sell it you better have a pesticide license... THAT is something I learned.
And i learned about that special division that investigates farm theft.... I personally thought that would be a GOOD THING TO SHARE here in light of things.
I have my own personal reasons to believe that eventually someone will get to the bottom of all of this.... and THOSE things I will not put here.
G'day... thanks for your comments.... always trying to self improve... seems I get many suggestions how to improve here daily.... :)